The Unhealed Wounds of My Father: A Memoir

Emile Maxi’s father, Ascencio, was born in Haiti in the 1920s. He was, as the author says, a man who wanted nothing more than to live up to his name by rising above the difficulty of a life filled with struggle and a dysfunctional childhood. A deeply flawed and complicated man, Ascencio was known for his hardworking nature and the good deeds he performed for his community. But at home, he was physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive, abuse that worsened dramatically after the sudden death of the author’s mother when the author was only five years old.

His mother’s death and his father’s abusive behaviour left the author with lifelong scars of grief and intergenerational trauma. He has spent his life working to heal those wounds, leaning on faith, family, a desire to stop the cycle and create a healthy, joyful future for his own children. Here, he shares his hard-won wisdom, offering readers a pathway to freedom from the struggles of grief and trauma.